1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to component mounting systems, and particularly to a mounting system for readily mounting a keyboard to a chassis of a portable computer.
2. Related Art
Modern portable computers are required to be designed such that components thereof can be easily manufactured and assembled. A typical portable computer such as a notebook computer comprises a keyboard attached in a top surface of a chassis. The keyboard is conventionally attached to the chassis by a plurality of fasteners such as screws, which extend from a bottom portion of the chassis into mounting portions located at an underside of the keyboard. In doing so, the keyboard is placed in a receiving slot portion of the chassis. An LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor of the notebook computer must be closed up temporarily in order to position the keyboard in the receiving slot portion. The notebook computer is turned over so that upside down. The screws are then engaged in corresponding screw holes to fasten the keyboard to the chassis. A turning-over operation is required to install or remove the keyboard to or from every notebook computer. This makes the installation and removal of the keyboard unduly laborious.
Taiwan Pat. Pub. No. 448346 discloses an improved keyboard mounting apparatus. One end of the keyboard is pivotably attached to a side of a keyboard receiving area of a notebook computer chassis. A mounting apparatus is located at an opposite side of the keyboard receiving area. An end of mounting apparatus is connected to the keyboard receiving area via a compressed spring. A catch is formed at an opposite end of the mounting apparatus. When an opposite end of the keyboard is pivoted down to the opposite side of the keyboard receiving area, the catch snappingly engages with the keyboard at the opposite end thereof to thereby retain the keyboard in the keyboard receiving area. After disengaging the catch from the keyboard, the keyboard can be easily removed from the keyboard receiving area. However, additional elements such as the catch and the spring are included in this mounting apparatus. This necessitates a more complicated structure and higher manufacturing costs.
Thus, a new mounting system for attaching a keyboard to a portable computer which overcomes the above-mentioned problems is desired.